Ameliorative effect of Calendula officinalis against arsenic induced toxicity in Charles Foster rats

Abstract

The present study is focused to combat the deleterious effect of arsenic toxicity in animal models utilizing medicinal plant extract. The animals (Charles Foster rats) were treated with Sodium arsenite at the dose of 8 mg per kg body weight for 90 days to make arsenic model and upon these arsenic pre-treated rats leaf extract of Calendula officinalis at the dose of 200 mg per kg body weight was administered for 60 days to study the ameliorative effects of this plant extract. The study shows that arsenic induced toxicity caused deleterious effect on the rats at the haematological, biochemical and histopathological levels and there was significant normalisation in the animal at all the respective levels. Hence, it possesses ameliorative properties against arsenic induced toxicity and can be used for therapeutic purpose.